BEST PRACTICES
nobody appreciates the bait-and-switch. If
you don't keep it real, people will see right
through you.
When you get your core values right, you'll
be more attractive to potential partners and
clients, and you'll also attract the best and
brightest employees. All of that naturally
leads to more work and more revenue. But it
won't work if you just pay lip service to your
values. You must reiterate, over and over,
what it means to live by them.
Think about the last business relationship you had that went south. Were there
warning signs that you missed or ignored?
Did something feel shady? What would or
did you do differently the next time? Do all
of your employees represent your business
the way you'd like them to?
Matchmaking Rule #3: If It's Not a
Good Match, Walk Away
Hold your team accountable. You may have
to make hard choices about whether to let
team members go, but you should never
keep a star performer who operates counter to your core values. Companies always
say that their employees are their greatest
assets, but that's only half the story. In truly
excellent companies, the people exemplify
the values that make their company the best
at what it does.
If you're looking for a life partner, there
are plenty of dating web sites that
use algorithms and
formulas
18
CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM NOVEMBER 2017
to help you find that one special person who shares your interests
and values. Your core values are the closest thing you've got to a
dating app.
Once your values have become part of who you are, it's easier to
identify the same values in potential partners and employees. When
you find them, the relationships work and you both become stronger. When you don't, that's a partner you don't want to waste your
time with because you can be sure that you will leave that relationship worse off than when you entered it.
Take your time getting to know a potential business partner or
employee before signing on the dotted line. Dig deep. Look at their
past behavior, their current business practices and the company
they keep. Do they walk away from clients if their values don't align
with their own? Do they hire and fire internally to maintain the values they claim to espouse? Do they treat their clients, partners and
vendors the way they expect to be treated? Are they winning awards
and recognition? Do they say they're all about innovation, but their
web site hasn't been updated since 2005? Are they setting trends, or
following them?
Trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, there's a good
chance that your values aren't in alignment, and the two of you
won't make it beyond the honeymoon period.
In business, it can be hard to walk away from a known stellar
performer, but the truth is, values are more important than performance. How you're treated is critical to the success of any relationship. If you're not going to be happy, your clients aren't going to be
happy, either.
Matchmaking Rule #4: Measure What Matters
Long-term success requires you to stay focused on what your
company is truly about. I believe very strongly that
a company should not exist to earn money.
This means getting rid of annual
objectives that